1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a float comprising a substantially prismatic hollow plastic body, which at its side walls, preferably at its side edge portions, is provided with means for connecting the float to other, identical floats.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such floats are known from Austrian Patent Specifications 312,039 and 325,094 and can be assembled to form floating platforms, landing stages as well as walk-on platforms, transport rafts, bridges, oil and dirt barriers. They have proved most satisfactory because they have a very large field of application for a very large range of purposes. But the known floats consist of closed hollow bodies, which can be manufactured only at relatively high cost and exhibit a rather unsteady floating behavior and tend to sway under load and under the action of waves.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,861,340 discloses parallelepipedic floats, which consist of a foamed plastic core and a protective sheath made of fiberglass. But said floats are so unstable in water that they cannot be used as individual floats but can be used only in the configuration of a frame, which carries planks forming a platform. Besides, said known floats are rather unhandy and must inherently be made for a specific purpose. This renders their manufacture more expensive and restricts their field of application.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,276,209 discloses floats which consist of concrete and comprise open-bottomed float cells, which are supplied with compressed air through a compressed air system, which comprises for each cell a depending air supply pipe and a vent valve in the top of the cell. Said known floats are expensive, heavy structures, which can be used only for large constructions, such as breakwaters, and as contrasted with hollow plastic bodies are immersed to an excessively large rather than an insufficient depth.